The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) has awarded Roberta L. Jamieson the prestigious David C. Smith Award for her outstanding advocacy in support of Aboriginal education in Canada, and her dedication to improving access and increasing career success of Aboriginal learners.

“Education facilitates inclusion and it opens many avenues of engagement and success – economic, social, cultural and international – so it is important that our Aboriginal learners be engaged and supported at our universities,” says Max Blouw, COU Chair and President of Wilfrid Laurier University. “Roberta is an incredible champion for Aboriginal education, and our universities and communities are enriched as a result of her accomplishments.”

As President and CEO of Indspire, Canada’s premier Indigenous-led charity and the largest non-government funder of Indigenous education, Jamieson has increased by five-fold the amount of funding available to Indigenous students to $10 million in 2013-2014. Under Jamieson’s leadership, Indspire also launched an unprecedented $20 million fundraising campaign in 2013 to support the Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries and Scholarship Awards program, and has extended Indspire’s youth career conferences to all regions of Canada.

“Indigenous youth are the fastest-growing demographic in Canada, and I am encouraged by the support we receive from individuals, organizations and corporations so that Indspire can provide bursaries to First Nation, Inuit and Métis post-secondary students for their education and training,” says Jamieson. “As well, I am grateful to our partners in education, like the Council of Ontario Universities, who share that vision of Indigenous student success, and I thank the Council for this honour.”

At the David C. Smith award ceremony yesterday evening, Jamieson spoke to an audience of academics, civil servants and public policy leaders. The full speech is posted on the COU website.

“Roberta has been a transformative force for Aboriginal education in Canada, and it was an honour for the Council of Ontario Universities to present her with this award,” says COU President and CEO Bonnie M. Patterson. “Through her extraordinary efforts and perseverance, Roberta has greatly increased the financial support available to Aboriginal learners, and continues to have a profound impact on their success.”

Previous award recipients include Dalton McGuinty, former Premier of Ontario; the Right Hon. Jean Chrétien, former Prime Minister of Canada; Dr. Martha Piper, former President of the University of British Columbia; Don Drummond, former Chief Economist with TD Bank; and Rob Prichard, President Emeritus of the University of Toronto, Chair of Torys LLP and Chair of Metrolinx.

This award was established in 2000 and named to celebrate the late Dr. David C. Smith, who made enormous contributions to both scholarship and public policy in higher education as Principal of Queen’s University and in advisory work on behalf of the sector.

Watch Roberta L. Jamieson’s speech.
Read more about the David C. Smith Award.

Quick Facts:

• David C. Smith was the Principal of Queen’s University from 1984 to 1994 and the Head of the Department of Economics from 1968 to 1981. He was Interim President of Trent University from 1997 to 1998.
• Roberta L. Jamieson is the former co-chair of the President’s Committee on Indigenous Studies at McMaster University; founding board member of the Centre for Research in Women’s Health, a University of Toronto and Women’s College Hospital partnership; and founding board member of the Canadian Native Law Students Association.
• Jamieson is the recipient of 22 honourary degrees, and a Member of the Order of Canada.

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COU is a membership organization of 21 publicly assisted universities in Ontario. It works closely with the provincial and federal governments to shape public policies that help universities deliver high-quality programs for students and advance the research and innovation that improves the social, cultural and economic well-being of Ontarians.

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